The capital's cattle markets are slowly getting busier, and as Eid approaches more cattle and traders are arriving. A visit to the Aftabnagar market on the afternoon of Sunday, 3 July, found animals arriving from across the country for Eid-ul-Azha. Traders were lining up animals under awnings stretched on bamboo poles, and local people were walking round looking at them. But buying had not yet picked up.

Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated across the country on 10 July. Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), which leased out the Aftabnagar market for Eid, says it is one of the biggest markets in Dhaka. Traders bring animals from different parts of Dhaka, and buyers crowd in. As in other years, the market has been enlarged with buyers' demand in mind. With about a week still to go, around 3,000 animals have already arrived.

Swapan Ali and Jasim Sarkar arrived at Aftabnagar from Bongram in Pabna on Saturday, 2 July, with 10 improved-breed cattle. On Sunday afternoon their cattle were tied in a row to trees and bamboo on the market's Zahurul Haque Avenue: six Sahiwals and four cross-breeds. The big red Sahiwal measures about five and a half feet across and weighs about 16 maunds. The big black cross-breed measures more than five and a half feet and weighs about 18 maunds.

Swapan Ali told Jago News he had set a price of Tk 6 lakh for the 16-maund Sahiwal and would sell at that price. For the 18-maund cow he is asking Tk 6.5 lakh.

Cattle of these breeds are bought as calves weighing three to four maunds, for Tk 2 to 2.5 lakh, he said. Each costs an average of Tk 20,000 a month to keep, and the sale price is set according to cost.

Asked how Qurbani sales might go this year, another trader, Jasim Sarkar, told Jago News that Sylhet and Sunamganj are under flood water. Traders are buying cattle very cheaply from those areas, so they will still profit even selling at somewhat lower prices at the markets. That puts farmers at risk of losses, he said, which is why not all the farm's cattle had been brought to Dhaka; they will decide after seeing prices.

Ahmed Ali Bepari arrived at Aftabnagar from Pabna on Sunday morning with 13 small and medium cattle. He claims these local cattle were raised on his own farm at home. Every year small and medium cattle are in greater demand at Qurbani markets and fetch good prices, he said, and he hopes for good business again.

In block "B" of Aftabnagar, a group of seven traders including Shariful Islam from Meherpur sat with nine cattle under an awning on bamboo poles. Each had brought one or two cattle. Shariful's cow weighs about 15 maunds and is priced at Tk 7.5 lakh.

He told Jago News the cow was born to a cow on his farm and is two years and 10 months old. He has fondly named it "Jubraj". In the village the price offered for Jubraj reached Tk 4 lakh, but selling at that price would mean a loss, so he brought it to the Dhaka market hoping for some profit.

Arman Ali lives in South Banasree in the capital. Looking at different breeds at the market at about 2pm, he said: "I heard from many people that cattle had arrived at Aftabnagar, so I came to look. They are asking very high prices now. I will buy if prices fall a day or two before Eid."

Mizanur Rahman Dhanu recently took the lease of the Aftabnagar market for Tk 1 crore 48 lakh. He told Jago News that animals had started arriving over the past two or three days and that 2,500 to 3,000 had already come. The market will become livelier from Monday, he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.